It is not hyperbolic to say that the Resident Evil 3 remake was bare-bones and disappointing in terms of being a ‘remake,’ despite it being perfectly fine as a game, and a mulligan would be greatly appreciated in order to rectify that. If the rumors of a second Resident Evil 1 remake turn out to be true, there would be no better excuse for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis to receive a second remake of its own in the future.
Is RE1 Getting A Second Remake?
Resident Evil remakes have flourished, concocting a brand-new continuity timeline that Resident Evil Requiem appears to be leaning on. Fortunately, Capcom has not even scratched the surface of how many other remakes it could tackle of games in the franchise, including:
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica, which is heavily teased to be the next Resident Evil game that players can expect between the Avernico/Veronica anagram and a fairly identical roulette table asset from Resident Evil Code: Veronica in Resident Evil Requiem.
- Resident Evil 1, recently rumored to be in development.
- Resident Evil 0, long rumored to be in development.
- Resident Evil 5, rumored to be in development and corroborated by the Albert Wesker teases in both the Resident Evil 4 remake and Resident Evil Requiem.
A second remake of Resident Evil 1 seems odd or superfluous at first glance, considering that there is already a Resident Evil 1 remake that is ubiquitously beloved. That said, Resident Evil 1 has not yet been reimagined in the same first- and third-person perspectives that the series has adopted lately, and doing so would make for a terrific amuse-bouche if Resident Evil’s Jill Valentine is eventually returning to the mainline continuity in the near future, especially if lore from the first game will be wielded with nostalgic significance.
For instance, Resident Evil Requiem would not hold the emotional narrative weight that it does if it was not for the ninth mainline installment intimately revisiting the Raccoon City Police Department and the Raccoon City Incident that occurred during the outbreak in Resident Evil 2 (though the game sadly refuses to explain what the Raccoon City Syndrome T-Virus strain is, specifically, or confirm how Raccoon City survivors acquired it). Resident Evil 10 could do something similar with Resident Evil 1, reflecting on S.T.A.R.S. and their exploration of the Arklay Mountains’ Spencer Mansion.
This would be more fulfilling and enriching if, like other remakes, it were blessed with a contemporary touch. However, the Resident Evil 3 remake we received remains a blemish on the franchise, particularly as the one Resident Evil remake thus far that fans have thoroughly disliked (much less detested), and it will hopefully have its own opportunity for a do-over soon.
Resident Evil 3 Fell Awfully Short As A Remake
The most egregious blight in the Resident Evil 3 remake is that it cuts a ton of content from the original game, basically disfiguring it and coming out half-baked. This is not to say the Resident Evil 2 remake was immaculate, either; it botched its A and B scenarios, resulting in an incoherent narrative patchwork that was generally forgiven by fans because of how fantastic the game is otherwise.
The Resident Evil 3 remake’s first section in the streets of Raccoon City is superb, but nothing that it does remarkably well is so special that its blunders and omissions can be overlooked. Timed, story-related decision-making, a Grave Digger boss fight, locations such as the iconic clock tower, multiple endings and character epilogues, and more are all absent, and it is therefore hardly the ‘remake’ that fans of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis wished for.
RE3: Nemesis Deserves A Second Chance
Before rumors began to stir about another Resident Evil 1 remake in development, it seemed we were stuck with the Resident Evil 3 remakewe got. Now, there is actually a slim chance that a second Resident Evil 3 remake could be pursued, if for no other reason than to correct how poorly the first one remade the game.
Likewise, if Jill truly is going to play an enormous role as a main character again, in a second Resident Evil 1 remake and/or as a protagonist in a future mainline Resident Evil game, it would be a boon to have a remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis that fans of the series can rally behind and praise to honor her character and the few Resident Evil stories she has been a part of. Of course, Capcom’s plate seems to be quite full at the moment, assuming half of these Resident Evil remake rumors have any truth to them.
A new Resident Evil 3 remake is no longer a pipe dream, and yet it will probably be a long while until we see it. The worst-case scenario, then, is that Capcom could bury it and press on, praying it dissolves from players’ memories. Not every Resident Evil remake needs to be an outstanding achievement that redefines the franchise, but the remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is an eyesore, and new series fans who have never played the original simply do not know what a phenomenal game they are missing out on by only having played the inferior version.
Meanwhile, the ceiling is as high as Capcom would like it to be, since Resident Evil is defined by its remakes and mainline continuity. This ensures that both will be integral to the series from now on, with plenty of remakes of some of the franchise’s most iconic retro titles to be anticipated, and it will be interesting to see how they affect and fuel one another as their stories intertwine.
- Released
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April 3, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Engine
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RE Engine
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Playable